Vacuum cup



G. W. BUNGAY July 18, 1933.

VACUUM CUP Filed June 3, 1932 Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED srA'rssParser orrics GEORGE V. BUNGAY, OF .PLAINFIELD, NEW

JERSEY, ASIGNOR, BY ME SNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO HOUSEEEGLD FIELDCORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VACUUTvT G'UPApplication filed June 3, 1932. Serial No. 615,261.

This invention relates to a vacuum cup, and more particularly to avacuum cup for use on a can opener.

This invention is an improvement on the invention disclosed in my PatentNo. 1,863,531, granted on June 14, 1932.

One object of this in'ventionis to provide an improved vacuum cupadapted to slide on a surface without losing its suction on the surface.i

The above and other objects will appeal from the foll wing description,appended claims and accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a fragmental,perspective view illustrating the end of thevacuum cup support or arm of the can opener disclosed in my Patent No.1,863,531 with the improved vacuum cup attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the vacuum cup on line 2-2 ofFigural prior to the vacuum cup being applied to the'end surface of acan. i

Figure 3 is asectional View similar to Fig? ure 2 illustrating thevacuum cup applied to a surface, such as the end of a can,and slidingthereon. v Referring to the drawing wherein one embodiment of theinvention is illustratedand wherein like reference numerals designatelike parts,a vacuum or suction cup 1 is secured within a cap-shaped end2 of a support or arm 3 by means of a screw 1, which engages in ascrew-threaded hole 5 in a metal insert 6 of the vacuum cup.

The vacuum cup 1 is preferably made of rubber or other suitablematerial. It is customary to wet the suction-producing face of a vacuumcup with water or the like prior to applying it to a surface, and whenso treated, the vacuum cup will readily slide along a surface, such asthe surface of the end of a can that is being opened by a can opener,such as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,863,531, and the vacuum cup willusually slide over raised letters or corrugations in the can end withoutlosing its vacuum grip. At times, however, there is a tendency for thevacuum cup to lose its suction grip under these conditions.

. When a vacuum cup of rubber slides along surface 15 (Figure 3), suchas the end of a can, in the direction indicated by an arrow 7 (Figures 1and 3), there is a tendency for the forward portion 8 of the annularengaging face or lip 9 to strike against raised lettors encountered andcause the forward portion 10 of the annular rim 11 to curl under andcause the vacuum lip to lose its suction grip on the can end. Toovercome the tendency of the vacuum. lip to cause the rim of the vacuumcup to curl under and result in loss of the suction grip on the can end,I provide an annular bead 12 surrounding the outside of the vacuum lip 9and give the forward portion 13 of the bead .12 a suitable low-frictionquality so that it will slide readily upon the can end without curlingunder and will act as a shoe which rides on the surface lziand preventsthe portion 10 of the rim 11 from becoming deformed and curling under,even when the vacuum cup is dry. Since the rim 11 and the head 12 areprevented from being deformed, the lip 9 is held inplace on the can endandis prevented from curling under or being elevated sufliciently tobreak the suction. The soft material of the lip 9 consequently ridesover the raised letters or corrugations without deformation other thanthat required to passthe raised portions'of the can end. v r

The particu way. I have illustrated for i i giving this low-frictionquality to the forward portion 10 of the bead 12 consists in ap plying aclip 1% which may be of any suitable materia having a sufficiently lowcoefficient of friction when sliding on a surface on which it is to beused, such as a can end, to prevent deforn'iation of the head 12. Thisclip 14.- may, for example, be made of aluminum or alloy if desired, orof other material having a coefficient of friction less than that of thevacuum cup i It will also be obvious that the clip may be made of anydesired diameter and length, and'any desired numberof clips may beattached on the bead 12. The clip shown in the drawing is attached bybending it around into clamping position on the head, but it will beappreciated that the way. Also, a low-friction surface of metal or othermaterial on the lowerside of the bead 12 may be provided in any suitableway without necessarily having this surface as part of what may becalled a clip.

Since it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be madein the above description with-out departing from the nature and spiritthereof, this inventionis not restricted thereto except as defined inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vacuum cup having a bead and a vacuum lip adapted to engage asurface and means associated with said bead adapted to slide on asurface and to prevent said vacuum lip from curling under in response tosliding movement of the vacuum cup on said surface.

2. A vacuum cup having a resilient vacuum lip adapted to enga e asurface, a rim adja' cent said lip, and means associated with said rimadapted to contact with said surface to prevent said vacuum lip fromdisengaging with said surface upon sliding the vacuum cup over saidsurface.

3. A vacuum cup comprising a resilient rim having a vacuum lip adaptedto slide over a surface, and means interposed between said rim and saidsurface in position to engage said surface when said rim is depressed,said means being adapted to freely slide over said surface and toprevent said lip from deforming sufliciently to break the vacuum inresponse to sliding movement of said cup.

4. A vacuum cup comprising a resilient rim having a vacuum lip adaptedto slide over ajsurface, and a metallic member interposed between saidrim and said surface and adapted to engage said surface when said rim isdepressed and to freely slide thereover to thereby prevent said lip fromdeforming sufficiently to break the suction.

5 A vacuum cup comprising a resilient rim having a vacuum'lip adapted toslide over a surface, and a member having a lower coeflicient offriction than said resilient material carried by said rim in a positionto engage said surface when said rim is depressed and to slide freelyover said surface to thereby prevent said lip from deformingsufficiently to break the suction.

6. A vacuum cup comprising a rim of resil ient material having a vacuumlip adapted to slide over a surface, and a metallic member located onthe forward part of said rim in the direction of sliding movement andinterposed between the rim and said surface and adapted to engage saidsurface when said rim is depressed and to freely slide over said surfaceto thereby prevent said lip from deforming sufiiciently to break thesuction in response to the sliding friction of said resilient material.

7. A vacuum cup adapted to slide over a surface comprising a rim havinga vacuum lip and a bead adjacent the lip, and means on the bead adaptedto engage said surface When said head is depressed and to slide oversaid surface so as to prevent the head from curling under and therebypermitting the vacuum lip to lose its suction grip on the surface.

8. A vacuum cup adapted to slide over a surface comprising a rim havinga vacuum lip and a bead adjacent the lip, and a metal member on the beadadapted to engage said surfacewhen said head is depressed and to slideover said surface so as to prevent the head from curling under andthereby permitting the vacuum lip to lose its suction grip on thesurface. 7

9. A vacuum cup adapted to slide over a surface comprising a rim havinga vacuum lip and a bead adjacent the lip, and a metal clip carried onthe forward portion of said bead in the direction of sliding movementand adapted to engage said surface when said head is depressed and toslide over said surface so as to prevent the head from curling under andthereby permitting the vacuum lip to lose its suction grip on thesurface.

GEORGE w. BUNGAY.

